Almost a third of Icelanders support the decriminalization of drugs, according to a new poll, RÚV reports. The majority is opposed.
Discussion regarding this issue has gradually increased in recent years. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization. By decriminalization, it‘s meant that possession of drugs for personal consumption would not be penalized. Drugs would still be illegal and so would their sale.
The Independence Party supports the decriminalization of drugs, and MP Guðmundur Steingrímsson, Bright Future, has called for the legalization of cannabis. Minister of Health Kristján Þór Júlíusson has expressed support for decriminalization.
Thirty percent of respondents said they support the decriminalization of drugs, 56 percent were opposed, and 14 percent had no opinion. Many more men than women support decriminalization, and young people are likelier than seniors to support it.
